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Big Idea: The what, why and how of listening prayer, which is not new revelation from God.
I was in a class using the book by Pete Scazzero called Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. It had a companion book Day-by-Day which suggests 2 minutes of silence before reading the Scripture passage and devotional thought, followed by 2 more minutes of silent listening to God.
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What is listening prayer
Listening prayer is a two-way conversation with God. Not just talking to Him, but also waiting and listening. In a one-way conversation we do all the talking.Ideally. one-way prayer should include more than bringing requests to God. It includes praising God, thanking Him and asking for forgiveness in addition to our list of prayer requests.
Listening prayer is a spiritual discipline that draws us closer to God by spending time with Him, waiting on Him to guide us in accordance with His Word.
Listening prayer is not God giving new doctrine and new revelation outside of the Bible and the church.
Why cultivate listening prayer?
The practice of stillness and a listening posture has numerous benefits.- It draws us into a deeper, more personal relationship with God.
- It quiets the noise coming from the world, and in our head.
- It brings peace, even peace in the storm.
- It can provide direction, wisdom, and correction.
How to listen to God
It helped to use Pete Scazzero’s book. It is useful at the beginning to use a timer and start with 1 to 2 minutes. Over time you may increase time or frequency as you wish.
1. Create a quiet moment. Choose a time and place during the day when you can have a couple of moments usually uninterrupted.
2. Quiet your heart before God. Take a couple of deep breaths and bring your focus to the Lord. Confess any sin to have a clean slate.
3. Start the conversation. Try, “God, I’m here.” Or “Quiet my mind and help me clear the clutter, Lord.” “Lord I’m focused on you.” As Samuel said in 1 Samuel 3;10 “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”
For those who are visual learners, I find it useful sometimes to imagine Jesus sitting on the couch nearby having coffee with me. Sometimes I sense God’s presence in front of me sitting on a chair, holding my hands. It helps me focus.
4. Be still. Wait. Perhaps you just sit in God’s presence. Or He may impress on your heart something important.
There are times where my mind is pinging a hundred directions. Some days are like that. Sometimes I start over. Sometimes I accept working on meeting Him is enough for that day. Sometimes I find God has a bunch of really important things to tell me. It’s incredible.
5. Journal. Write down what you heard from God or what you learned that day. Often I see that what God said to me is from a Bible verse or two and I’ll look up the reference to write down. There may be some days with nothing significant to write. That’s OK.
6. Test what you’ve sensed. It is possible for this experience to be subjective, emotional or self-deluded. It is important to check what you have heard with the Bible and determine how it syncs with the Church (not an individual church, rather the body of believers). You may want to talk about it with a Christian friend, your pastor, or someone else who has a close walk with God. You can also ask the Lord! “Did I hear that right, Lord, or only what I wanted to hear?”
The Bible says a lot about being still (Psalm 46:10) and about having a faith that is quiet and gentle (1 Peter 3:4, I Timothy 2:2). Let’s cultivate that.
1. Create a quiet moment. Choose a time and place during the day when you can have a couple of moments usually uninterrupted.
2. Quiet your heart before God. Take a couple of deep breaths and bring your focus to the Lord. Confess any sin to have a clean slate.
3. Start the conversation. Try, “God, I’m here.” Or “Quiet my mind and help me clear the clutter, Lord.” “Lord I’m focused on you.” As Samuel said in 1 Samuel 3;10 “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”
For those who are visual learners, I find it useful sometimes to imagine Jesus sitting on the couch nearby having coffee with me. Sometimes I sense God’s presence in front of me sitting on a chair, holding my hands. It helps me focus.
4. Be still. Wait. Perhaps you just sit in God’s presence. Or He may impress on your heart something important.
There are times where my mind is pinging a hundred directions. Some days are like that. Sometimes I start over. Sometimes I accept working on meeting Him is enough for that day. Sometimes I find God has a bunch of really important things to tell me. It’s incredible.
5. Journal. Write down what you heard from God or what you learned that day. Often I see that what God said to me is from a Bible verse or two and I’ll look up the reference to write down. There may be some days with nothing significant to write. That’s OK.
6. Test what you’ve sensed. It is possible for this experience to be subjective, emotional or self-deluded. It is important to check what you have heard with the Bible and determine how it syncs with the Church (not an individual church, rather the body of believers). You may want to talk about it with a Christian friend, your pastor, or someone else who has a close walk with God. You can also ask the Lord! “Did I hear that right, Lord, or only what I wanted to hear?”
The Bible says a lot about being still (Psalm 46:10) and about having a faith that is quiet and gentle (1 Peter 3:4, I Timothy 2:2). Let’s cultivate that.
This is what the Sovereign Lord,the Holy One of Israel, says:“Only in returning to meand resting in me will you be saved.In quietness and confidence is your strength.But you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:15
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Reflect:
Have you tried this before? Is this something you are willing to try? Do you have any objections to it? Some Christian do. If so pray about it.
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